A shotgun is considered by many to be the optimal piece of hardware for
CQB. A scattergun filled with 00 buck is hard to beat in a fight that
has a range of the avg American living room. Understanding the strengths
and weaknesses of shotguns will help you get the most out of yours.
Lets lay to rest perhaps the biggest myth of the combat shotgun; That
due to the spreading of the shot pattern there is no need to aim the
weapon. In the REAL world the shot only spreads 1” for every yard of
travel after leaving the barrel. This means a single hole at distances
out to about 12’ or so. To stop the bad guy the entire pattern must hit
him (or her) in a vital area. A few pellets just wont do it.

Why choose a smoothbore over a pistol or rifle? Easy: against a
thin-skinned target within range a 12-ga. shotgun can be said to be the
most powerful arm available. Over 1 ounce of lead hitting a large area
produces tremendous terminal results!

Another good reason to pick a shotgun is the reduced probability of
over-penetration.

A few negatives of the shotgun are; the bulk of the ammo, recoil, slow
reloading, and one of its pluses is also a minus in that range is
limited.

Some people prefer semi-auto shotguns and some prefer a pump action. A
semi-auto is easier to shoot while prone or in a “compromised” position
and can re-acwire a follow-up shot or secondary target faster. A pump
action is a more economical choice and can be argued a simpler machine
to repair if it malfunctions.

A shotgun to be used for indoor defense should have a legal minimum 18”
barrel. Many people go for a 22” barrel and get 2 extra shells in the
mag. But this makes for a very long package to take through the house.
Chokes do not work with buckshot so it would be best to use no choke at
all. If you can’t get a decent pattern, take the gun to a gunsmith and
explain your needs, he’ll fix you up. You might also want to consider
getting a porting job. This will not tame the recoil any but WILL help
you re-acquire targets much faster by reducing muzzle rise.

Ammo and Accessories

The only really effective ammo for a shotgun is either 00 buck or
slugs. There are different calibers of buckshot on the market; #3, #4,
and #1, but to get adequate would channels nothing beats nine .33
caliber pellets. With slugs you can get either saboted or not. I prefer
not, a full .72 caliber slug would do some major damage and that's the
name of the game.

If using this weapon for home defense, odds are that it will be
employed in the dark if the need ever arises. With this in mind, you’ll
need to add a light source. There are clamps that can clamp a maglight
to the magazine, there are integral forends that actually house a light,
and a few other choices. Some folks like to add ghost ring sights, some
use the new colored tubes that seem to glow, but these do need a light
source.

I don't anticipate a shotgun fight lasting more than 2 or 3 rounds but
a sidesaddle carrier filled with 6 extra rounds and mounted to the
action of the gun goes a long way to soothing my nerves. I keep 4 rounds
of 00 buck and 2 slug rounds, just in case some one thinks about
barricading themselves behind a door.

As with all firearms, you have to train or you’ll have you gun taken
and used on you. If you're not going to practice you might as well just
get a dog.